Tag Archives: suffering

Dharma Transmission

Good morning!   Now we have a lot of green around us. Cherry blossoms have almost gone, but red buds have started blooming. I hope you have enjoyed deep breathing and profound peace. When we breathe deep with the Buddha mind seal, we completely refresh our whole system – body, mind, and the world. Thus we merge into the cosmos like the great ocean or the great sky. Actually the sky is called sallila, ocean in India. Then, we are liberated from small smelly skin sacks, returning to the origin, becoming one with the Dharma Dhātu, Domain. Then only, we find out our true selves, the true body, the great ocean like life. Only then, we become awakened to the truth of our original nature. We find that we have been deluded by our small bodies and minds, and find that all sufferings we had are dispersed like dense fogs, dispelled like dark clouds, and come to know wherefrom sufferings come – all from small selves sticking to small sacks.   But, we never know it, until we reach nirvana, vast space, great ocean, and see things from there further, wider, and deeper. It is like waking up from our dreadful dreams. Even though we work in our daily lives, thinking that we are wakeful, it is not enough, not awakened, bound by all kinds of delusions, which essentially come from our senses that our selves, skin sacks, are the most important things. From this delusion, we create all kinds of problems and sufferings. Unless we stop it and merge into this great ocean, we remain in suffering, never solving our problems, individual, social, and ecological. As you know, they are getting more and worse. So, if we really want to solve our problems and sufferings, we must become Buddhas, stop becoming bubbles, becoming selfless. Only our practice makes it possible and perfect.   The Buddha found this truth 25 centuries ago, and he devoted his whole life to save all beings from sufferings. Many followers practiced in the same way as he did, and became Buddhas. In this way from generation to generation, the Buddha Way has been transmitted and succeeded without interruption. If we want to keep this tradition, we all must become Buddhas and keep it alive and active. The most important thing for Buddhas is to keep the Buddha Dharma persist perpetually (reihōgujū, 令法久住). How? Make next Buddhas. Otherwise, it stops there, and disappears. The Dharma, as you know now, is like the limitless ocean or space, awakened by the Buddhas beyond the small selves, bubbles and clouds. If we stick to our small selves or other things such as money, material things, we lose our Dharma and the Dharma life. Even we stick to our lives, we lose them, much more the Buddha Dharma.   As I talked last Sunday “taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha  (kimyō, … Continue reading

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Supreme Supramundane State

Good morning!   Zazen brings us to a completely different world than the ordinary one. Of course we have a different world from moment to moment. So, we can enjoy spring after winter. We must withstand a chilly winter after … Continue reading

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Awakened One’s Awakening Day

Good morning!   Today, the eighth of December, is the day of the Buddha’s awakening. So, all over the world Zen practitioners, after seven day intensive sitting, celebrate his awakening – an unprecedented feast that solves all problems of all … Continue reading

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Four Dharma Marks

Good morning!   We could see the bright morning star and a very thin moon. The temperature is going down to 25 degrees.   The three dharma marks are impermanence, suffering, and no self. The four dharma marks are nirvana … Continue reading

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Flowering and Fruition

Good morning!   This is the last day of our equinox sesshin. It seems that it is truly getting colder after the equinox day.  The night is getting longer and darker with the brighter morning star, Orion, etc.   Equanimity … Continue reading

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Karma Kinetics

Good morning!   We have a nice, quiet, peaceful Sunday morning. With three sittings now, we have a little longer day since the time of the winter solstice. Tonight we can see the full moon. We can also see the … Continue reading

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Sole Space without Separation

Good morning!   We could still see the beautiful bright full moon. As the sun comes out, the moon disappears. Now we see the vast blue sky. Out of the blue come clouds in all forms, colors, and sizes – … Continue reading

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Pure Place in Peace and Prognosis

Good morning!   Autumn morning is worth a thousands pieces of gold. Even though we have neither wind, nor flowers, nor full moon, nor singing birds (ka-cho-fu-getsu: 花鳥風月: flowers, birds, wind, and the moon:), we nonetheless have fresh air, beautiful stars, … Continue reading

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Penetrating pure peace and prognosis

Good evening!   We had a very good autumn day with crisp cool air, without clouds. When we sit solid, stable, still, and serene, we become like the great clear, calm, and cool autumn sky without clouds of karmas – … Continue reading

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Practice of Penetrating Purity and Peace

Good evening!   We had a very hot day today, but we can sit and stop our karma, going beyond heat and chill, even entering into a world with neither heat nor chill.   But, in a hot spot of … Continue reading

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